A middle-aged couple in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore town was found brutally murdered on the morning of Sunday, August 28. Vasireddy Krishna Rao (54) and Sunitha (50), residents of the Ashok Nagar neighbourhood in Nellore, were found murdered in their house in a suspected case of robbery and assault. According to the police, unknown assailants killed the couple, who ran a restaurant in town. Krishna Rao was found lying in a pool of blood in front of the house with his throat slit, while Sunitha was found lying dead inside the house on a bed, a police officer told the media.
Speaking to TNM, Nellore town in-charge Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Abdul Subhan said, “The incident must have happened around midnight on Saturday. The house help who saw the couple in a pool of blood informed Krishna Rao’s brother. It might be a case of robbery and assault.” He further added, “CCTV footage is being examined from the house and other places in the neighbourhood. We are expecting a breakthrough in the case soon.”
According to local media reports, it is believed that Sunitha presumed her husband would return home late on Saturday night, and went to sleep in their bedroom without locking the door. The assailants are suspected to have entered the house and killed her first with a stick. Later, on their way out, they are suspected to have killed Krishna Rao near the main door with a knife, after attempting to rob a locked closet where gold ornaments and money were kept.
A police officer told the media that the gold kept in a locker was found to be intact and was handed over to the couple’s daughter-in-law. “Their younger son said some cash must have been stolen as they kept their daily income in the room. But we are yet to confirm this,” he said, adding that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem. The police were informed of the incident on Sunday morning. A clues team consisting of a dog squad and technical experts has taken stock of the scene, and a police investigation is ongoing.
Krishna Rao, who runs a catering service and hotel in the town, and his wife Sunitha, are reported to be active members of the social media wing of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). However, no political motive has been suspected in the murders so far. The couple is survived by two sons, who live in Visakhapatanam and Nellore with their respective families.